Man dies following contact with police - North Wales Police, February 2017

In the early hours of 12 February 2017, a man contacted North Wales Police and expressed concern that some people had been trying to hurt him. He contacted the force again an hour and a half later to report that he had argued with his sister. The call handler then spoke with the man’s mother and sister, who indicated that everything was in order and the police did not need to attend.

At 10.19am that morning, a paramedic contacted the police to request assistance. She stated that the ambulance service had been called out following a report that the same man had taken an overdose and that, when they attended, he had been “running around with a knife.”

Officers attended and engaged with the man. One officer discharged his Taser twice. As this had little or no effect, another officer attempted to physically restrain the man, again
without success. Two officers stated that they also used their incapacitant spray.
The man sustained a serious injury to his neck in the course of the incident, which the evidence indicated was self-inflicted. He was pronounced dead in hospital at 11.05am that morning.

Our investigators obtained the call recordings and Taser download, as well as accounts from eyewitnesses and the three principal officers. They also examined CCTV footage and attended the post-mortem examination.

Given that the evidence indicated that the man did not respond to verbal commands, and posed a clear, immediate and significant risk towards himself and potentially others, we were of the opinion that it was necessary for the officers to use force in an attempt to bring him safely under control as quickly as possible. We did not believe that the evidence indicated that the officers used more force than they honestly and instinctively considered necessary to safeguard the man and others.

The pathologist recorded that the man had died as a result of the injuries to his throat, which had features consistent with self-infliction. The pathologist found no evidence to indicate that the use of Taser, incapacitant spray or physical restraint caused or contributed to the man’s death.

Based on the evidence available we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, or had committed a criminal offence.

After reviewing our report, North Wales Police agreed.

We completed our investigation in October 2017, but waited until the inquest into the man’s death had concluded, in early 2020, before publishing its outcome.